


Down the River

by kagurasbuns



Category: God of War (Video Games)
Genre: GOW4 Major Spoilers, Gen, Guilt, Mimir being a Cool Uncle, vent fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 10:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21269570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kagurasbuns/pseuds/kagurasbuns
Summary: Atreus broods about his guilt on a riverbank.





	Down the River

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't read if you haven't finished God of War (2018) yet. As always, constructive criticism is highly appreciated and welcomed!

Atreus watches the river flow from the rocky bank that he is perched on. Here, the stream drowns all noise made by every creature, be it the cry of an animal or the racing thoughts of a child. He goes here every time he is upset with his Father; nowadays, they’ve kept the score quite even, with Atreus running his Father’s patience thin from his incaution and his Father missing his efforts to thaw the ice between them. 

Today, he has retreated here not out of frustration, but out of guilt. 

His friend, Mimir, or as his Father imaginatively calls him, Head, sits beside him, perched on a sturdy slab of stone. In silence, the two observe the mundanity of nature, each to his own thoughts. 

Mimir cleared his throat. “Lad?” 

“Yes, Mimir?” 

“You’ve been quiet for a while,” Mimir says. “The silence is deafening, you know.” 

“I’m just thinking,” Atreus shrugged. Deep down, though, a cold feeling had been gnawing at his chest ever since he deliberately shot his father at the highest peak in Midgard. He’d been so blind with rage and pride that he turned against his own father… it didn’t help that the gods apparently had a penchant for patricide, be they Norse or Greek. The idea of his actions being predestined made Atreus uneasy. 

“Well, I suppose I could lend an ear this time. I’m always the one telling you and your da all sorts of stories. Now, how about you tell me one?” 

Atreus felt colder than ever before as a gust passed by. The cold in Midgard was nothing comparable to the one in Helheim, but for some reason… he was shivering like he’d returned to that dismal, eerie realm. He swallowed a lump in his throat. “I…” he began. “I… feel guilty for shooting Father last time.” 

“Everyone makes mistakes, lad,” Mimir reassured him. “What matters is that you learn from it.” 

“I know, but… I still feel bad about it. I really wish I didn’t do that.” 

“Some lessons are learned the hard way,” Mimir said. “And you’ve definitely changed from that experience, haven’t you?” 

“I guess so.” 

“Don’t know about you, lad, but the sons of Odin aren’t quite as bright as you. They wouldn’t even be sorry if they hurt someone. Hell, if you saw the way they behaved while I was still the Allfather’s advisor, well… I’m plenty sure you’d feel much better about yourself. You’re more mature than all those worthless wankers combined, aye.” 

Atreus snorted. He wanted to ask what the word ‘wanker’ meant, but he supposed he could do that later. “It’s also scary to think that everything that happened was fate.” 

“Oh? What made you think that?”

“Oh, you weren’t there when Father and I saw the mural in Jötunheim. There was a whole mural about our journey. The fight with Baldur, the stone mason… everything was drawn on the wall. So… I guess even me hurting Father was supposed to happen.”

“Fate’s a tricky thing, lad.” Mimir commented. “But one thing’s for sure: your Father changed the fate of one important bloke in this story. And that changes the fate of everyone who’s connected to Baldur too. If he could do it, then maybe his son could, too. Don’t you think?” 

“Yeah.” Atreus smiled. “Maybe I can’t change everything… but I won’t let anyone hurt Father. And I’ll be more careful next time.” 

“Atta boy,” Mimir grinned. 

“Thanks, Mimir.” Atreus let out a content sigh. “I’m glad I got that off my chest.” 

“We’ve all got to, every now and then,” Mimir said, wishing that Kratos was here to hear all of this. 


End file.
